Control fixture for elevators



FIGS E. G. EDWARDS CONTROL FIXTURE FOR ELEVATORS Filed Feb. 19, 1941 FIGA.

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maria m ATTORNEY 5M' 4% INVENTOR Patented Dec. 23, 1941 CONTROL FIXTURE FOR ELEVATORS Eric Grenville Edwards, Bronx, N. Y., assignor to Otis Elevator Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 19, 1941, Serial No. 379,635

5 Claims.

This invention relates to control fixtures located at the landings of elevator installations.

Elevators in certain types of buildings such as apartment houses are arranged so that the operation of the car is controlled by the passengers and intending passengers themselves by pressing push buttons in the car and at the landings. In one type of control system which has proved very popular and is now largely used, the push buttons when pressed store calls and the car in its travel stops at the floors for which push buttons have been pressed to answer the calls. At intermediate floors, two push buttons are provided, one known as an up hall button, which operates an up control switch, to be pressed when the intending passenger desires to be carried in the up direction and the other known as a down hall button, which operates a down control switch to be pressed when the intending passenger desires to be carried in the down direction. Thus, if there be intending passengers at certain floors wishing to be carried in the up direction and intending passengers at other floors wishing to be carried in the down direction, those desiring to go up press the up hall buttons and those desiring to go down press the down hall buttons. Assuming that the car is at the ground floor, it starts in the up direction and stops automatically at each floor at which an up hall button has been pressed to take on the passenger desiring to be carried in the up direction. Passengers entering the car press push buttons in the car known as car buttons for the floors to which they desire to be carried and the car in its upward travel stops at these floors and discharges the passengers;

Stops are not made during upward travel at intervening floors at which down hall buttons are pressed. These calls remain stored and the car after making its last stop in the up direction travels downwardly and stops automatically at each floor at which a down hall button has been pressed. Passengers entering the car at these floors press car buttons for their desired destination, usually the ground floor, and the car stops at such floor or floors in its downward travel to discharge the passangers. This is a very desirable type of operation, giving the highest quality of service for such buildings.

It sometimes happens, especially in certain sections, that intending passengers thoughtlesslypress both push buttons at the intermediate landings. This causes the car to stop at such landings on its first approach thereto regardless of its direction of travel. If the stop be an intervening one and the car is travelling in the direc tion opposite to that in which the intending pas senger desires to be carried, the passenger must either enter the car and be carried in a direction opposite to that in which he desires to go or else wait until the car returns to the floor traveling in the proper direction. The present invention is directed to minimizing the possibility of both the up control switch and the down control switch at a landing being operated by intending passengers at that landing desiring to be carried in only one direction from the landing.

The object of the invention is to provide an up control switch and a down control switch for installation at landings intermediate the terminal landings, which are constructed so as to require thought on the part of the intending passengers to enable them to operate these switches. This minimizes the possibility of both switches being operated under conditions where only one direction of travel is desired.

The principal feature of the invention resides in so constructing these switches that a different manipulation is required to operate one of them from that required to operate the other,

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a combination up switch and down switch control fixture embodying the invention, a part being broken away to illustrate constructional details beneath the face plate;

Figure 2 is a side View of the same with parts in section;

Figure 3 is a side view with parts in section of the up control switch of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a detail in section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is another detail in section taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3 with parts omitted.

Referring to the drawing, the control fixture comprises a face plate ID for the operating member ll of the up contro1 switch and for the operating member I2 of the down control switch. Formed in relief on the face plate above up operating member H is the legend Up and below the down switch operating member I2 is the legend Down, these legends being provided to advise intending passengers as to which switch to operate. A position indicator I3 is also provided on the face plate between the operating members of the control switches, this indicator showing the position of the elevator car in the hatchway and by its movement the direction of car travel. The fixture has a casing l4 within which is a bracket l5. A pocket 16 is formed in the hatchway wall into which the casing extends. Flanges I! are formed on the casing 14 through which the casing is secured by screws I8 to the hatchway wall in the manner of an electric outlet box. The bracket i is formed with tongues I9 at the top and bottom which interlock with the flanges I! to hold the bracket in position. The face plate It is secured to the tongues as by scr s 20.

The down control switch is illustrated as of a push button operated type, the operating memher [2 bein a so-oalled mushroom type push button. The switch comprises a moulded Y shaped base 2| of insulating material mounted on bracket l5 as by a screw 22. On the lower arm of the insulating base, as viewed in Figure 2, is a stationary contact 23 secured to the arm by a screw 24 which also serves as a binding post. The contact is bent over at its end at right angles into path of movement of a movable contact 25. The movable contact is carried on a contact arm 26 pivotally mounted on a bracket 2Tsecured as by a screw 28 to the other arm of the insulating base, this screw also serving as a binding post. The contact arm when operated rocks on the lower end of the bracket. The arm is biased to a position with the movable contact disengaged from the stationary contact by a spring 30 arranged in a slot in an extension 3! of the bracket, a finger 32 being provided on the contact arm extending through this slot against which the spring pushes. A knob 33 of insulating material is pivotally mounted on the contact arm. This knob is engaged by another knob 34 on the end of a shank 35. The push button is provided with a hollow stem 38 which extends through a guide aperture 3! in the face plate. The shank 35 extends into the hollow stem, a spring 38 being arranged in the stem between the head 40 on the end of the shank and the button through which the button acts upon being pressed to force knob 34 inwardly and thus the contact arm counter-clockwise into position to engage the movable contact with the stationary contact and thus close the switch.

The up control switch is illustrated as of a rotary type. The switch comprises a moulded base 50 of insulating material mounted on bracket l5 as by a screw 5|. A bracket 52 is positioned between the base and the casing. 53 and 54 are binding posts for connecting the switch in the system. These binding posts 53 and 5 1 are connected by conducting strips 55 to stationary contacts 55 and 51 respectively, these conducting strips being formed in position in the base 58 during the moulding operation. These contacts are rounded on their ends and protrude from the base. The stationary contacts 56 and 5'! are adapted to be bridged by contacts 53 and 6&1 carried by a moulded rotor 6! of insulating material, the contacts 58 and 60 being connected by an arcuate conducting strip 52 formed in position during the moulding operation. These contacts also are rounded on their ends and protrude from the rotor. A boss 63 is provided on base 56! to form a seat for the rotor, an annular boss 64 being formed on the rotor to engage the boss 83.

The rotor is formed with a pocket 65 into which extends the end =68 of a cylindrical member E1. The cylindrical member is rotatably supported in an aperture 63 formed in a sleeve 10 secured as by welding to a plate H. This plate is secured as by screws E2 to bracket 52. A pair of prongs 73 extend from the end 66 of the cylindrical member into apertures 14 in the base of the rotor 51 to support the rotor and to effect rotative movement thereof upon rotative movement of the cylindrical member. A spring 75 is arranged in pocket 635 around the end 55 of the cylindrical member and extends between a flange 16 formed on the cylindrical member and the base of the rotor to maintain the boss 64 on the rotor in engagement with the boss 63 on the base. The ends of this spring are bent outwardly at right angles and extend one into an aperture F1 in the rotor and the other into an aperture 13 in plate H and sleeve Hi, the spring being also placed in torsion to bias contacts 53 and 69 into position disengaged from stationary contacts 56 and 51. An arcuate slot is formed on one side of the rotor, screws 8| and 82 secured to bracket 52 cooperating with the ends of the slot to limit the rotative movement of the rotor.

The end 83 of cylindrical member 6? is formed with a cylindrical pocket 34. A portion of one side of this pocket is flattened by a key 85 to form a keyway. A cylindrical shank 85 'fiattened on one side extends into the pocket. This shank is formed on the end of the stem 8] of operating member II, The stem 8i extends through a guide aperture 88 in the face plate and is held in position by a washer 9U pinned to the stem in back of the face plate. The operating member H is a turn button of a mushroom shape to correspond with the shape of the operating member for the down switch. Inasmuch as the up switch is operated by rotative movement of operating member H the edge of this member is preferably knurled as indicated to provide a better grip. Also a direction arrow 9| may be provided on the face of the button to indicate the direction in which it should be turned to operate the switch, this direction being clockwise in the construction illustrated.

Upon clockwise movement of the operating member the rotor is rotated into position to bridge stationary contacts 56 and 51 by contacts 58 and 60. When this position is reached the rotor is brought to a stop by the engagement of screw 82 with the end 92 of the slot in the rotor. The extent to which the contacts protrude cause the rotor to be pushed back against the force of spring I5 as the movable contacts ride up onto the stationary contacts, thereby assuring good contact engagement. Upon release of operating member ll, spring 15 returns the rotating parts to position where the other end 93 of the slot in the rotor engages screw Bl, in which position the contacts 58 and 65 are disengaged from stationary contacts 53 and 51. Should an attempt be made to operate the up switch by pressing in on operating member H, the switch. is not operated, not only because contacts 58 and 6!! are not opposite contacts 55 and 51 but the boss 54 on the face plate in which aperture 88 is formed, prevents any appreciable inward movement of the operating member.

In the arrangement above described, the down control switch is arranged for operation by depressing a push button while the up control switch is arranged for operation in a different manner because the predominant traffic from the intermediate floors above the lobby floor is down. In installations when the elevator is run to a basement below the lobby floor, it would be desirable in view of the fact that the predominant traffic from the lobby floor would be up to arrange the up control switch for operation by depressing a push button and to operate the down control switch in a different manner.

The above described construction is one that is considered satisfactory. However, various changes may be made in constructional details both of the switches and their operating members within the scope of the invention. The up switch and down switch may be embodied in individual fixtures. Also, the switch which is not operated by depressing a push button may be operated in some way other than a rotary motion, as for example by a lever action. In fact either switch may be operated in various ways, so long as different from each other, but it is preferred that one of them be operated as by a push button.

As many apparently widely different embodi tacting means adapted upon being closed to cause the stopping of the car at the landing during its travel in the direction corresponding to the switch operated, manually operable operating means for one of said switches adapted to be depressed to close said contacting means of such switch, and manually operable operating means for the other of said switches adapted to be operated in a diflerent way to close said contacting means of said other switch.

2. A control fixture for installing at a landing of an elevator installation other than a terminal landing having an up switch and a down switch, each switch being adapted upon operation to cause the stopping of the car at the landing during its travel in the direction corresponding to the switch operated; said down switch comprising, a stationary contact, a movable con-' tact for engaging said stationary contact and a push button for moving said movable contact into engagement with said stationary contact; and

said up switch comprising, a stationary contact, a movable contact for engaging said stationary contact and a turn button for moving said up switch movable contact into engagement with said up switch stationary contact.

3. A control fixture for installing at a landing of an elevator installation other than a terminal landing having an up switch and a down switch, each switch being adapted upon operation to store a call for the car to cause the stopping of the car at the landing during its travel in the direction corresponding to the switch operated; said down switch comprising, a stationary contact, a movable contact for engaging said stationary contact but biased against engagement, and operating means for said movable contact having a manually operable actuating member adapted upon being pushed to move said movable contact into engagement with said stationary contact; and said up switch comprising, a stationary contact, a movable contact for engaging said stationary contact but biased against engagement, and operating means for said up switch movable contact having a manually operable actuating member adapted upon being rotated to move said up switch movable contact into engagement with said up switch stationary contact.

4. A control fixture for installing at a landing of an elevator installation other than a terminal landing having an up switch and a down switch, each switch being adapted upon operation to cause the starting of the car and said up switch being adapted in addition to cause the stopping of the car during upward travel thereof at such landing and the down switch being adapted in addition to cause the stopping of the car during downward travel thereof at such landing; said down switch comprising, a stationary contact, a movable contact adapted to be depressed into engagement with said stationary contact but biased against depression, and operating means for said movable contact having a push button actuating member adapted upon being pushed to depress said movable contact into engagement with said stationary contact; and said up switch comprising, a stationary contact, a movable contact adapted to be rotated into position engaging said stationary contact but biased against said rotative movement, and rotatable operating means for said movable contact having an actuating member adapted upon being rotated to rotate said up switch movable contact into position engaging said up switch stationary contact.

5. A control fixture for installing at a landing of an elevator installation other than a terminal landing having a face plate and an up switch and a down switch in back of said face plate, each switch being adapted upon operation to cause the starting of the car and said up switch being adapted in addition to cause the stopping of the car during upward travel thereof at such landing and the down switch being adapted in addition to cause the stopping of the car during downward travel thereof at such landing; said down switch comprising, a stationary contact, a movable contact adapted to be depressed into engagement with said stationary contact, means for biasing said movable contact against depression, and operating means for said movable contact connected to a push button actuating memher on the front of said face plate adapted upon being pushed to depress said movable contact into engagement with said stationary contact, said biasing means acting upon release of said push button actuating member to restore said operating means and movable contact to their former positions; and said up switch comprising, a stationary contact, a movable contact adapted to be rotated into position engaging said stationary contact, means biasing said movable contact against said rotative movement, and rotatable operating means for said movable contact connected to an actuating member on the front of said face plate and similar in appearance to the down switch push button actuating member adapted upon being rotated to rotate said up switch movable contact into position engaging said up switch stationary contact, said up switch biasing means acting upon said up switch actuating member being released to restore said rotatable operating means and movable contact to their former positions.

ERIC GRENVILLE EDWARDS. 

